Snow On Sahara
by Ryu Gasian
Summary: Lost out in the desert. If your hopes scatter like the dust across your track, I'll be the moon that shines on your path. The sun may blind our eyes, I'll pray the skies above...For snow to fall on the Sahara. A collab by Ryuamakusa4eva and Gasian Gaond
1. Prologue

**SNOW ON SAHARA**

**Story by: Ryuamakusa4eva**  
**Written by: Gasian Gaond**

**Summary: Lost out in the desert. If your hopes scatter like the dust across your track, I'll be the moon that shines on your path. The sun may blind our eyes, I'll pray the skies ****above...for snow to fall on the Sahara.**

**Disclaimer: Ryu and Gasian both own each other *shot to death* ...no, we don't own the godlike K-ON.**

**A/N: Hello! This is our first Mitsu story through collaboration!**

**Mostly, this is written by Gasian, but I (Ryuamakusa4eva) also wrote it, although a bit, but I'm more into planning/making the story, since Gasian is better at writing.**

**I hope you'll enjoy our story!**

* * *

It might be an ordinary rainy night for any resident of the peaceful town of Ivanhoe.

But for a certain girl...it wasn't.

She was running as fast as she could through the slippery streets of the unfamiliar small town, her feet stabbed endlessly by horrible coldness.

Behind every shadow of the lamp post lurked the fear she never dared to set eyes on. Bits of her common sense left her with every step...

Her heart beat faster than she ran, but she kept running...and running...with her mind never cease screaming...

_Faster...faster...!_

She ran as if she were being chased by a thousand wild animals. She ignored the pain that pierced the wound on her head, trying to forget how she had been concussed repeatedly, how she was slapped so hard that the fingers left burning marks on her cheeks, how her clothes had been inhumanely stripped off her body, how everything that was previously perfect in her life came to a horrifying, tragic end...

_Monsters...they are all monsters..._

She had lost _everything_...

And so it crossed her mind...

_I want to die..._

_I __want to die anywhere but here..._

And with that raging thought controlling her whole mind...she led herself, almost like a zombie, to the nearest building with a sign which her nearly insane brain could perceive as her final destination before heaven, if it really hadn't lost its ability to read alphabetical letters...

_POLICE STATION_

* * *

"The message has finally come through... those fucking pimps...they really are in this town."

"...How's the girl...?"

"Bad. The doctor's managed to fix her. He said she's totally out of condition thanks to one of those worst concussions. We're lucky if she still remembers anything about herself."

"...So this girl really was concerned in...?"

"Don't jump to conclusions. We'll ask her once she wakes up."

"Bah, right now she's in no condition to speak. 'Sides, it's obvious. Asian chick, big breasts, worn-out clothes, fainted in front of a police station? You're really dead now. You said this area will always be free of traffickers and look at how you came through..."

"Right, right, just go on with the fascinating speech, genius."

The argument felt so foreign in the ears of the half-conscious girl when she struggled to open her eyes. Pieces of her senses began to come back together...and the pleasant smell of the hospital room bathed her mind.

She just...smelled...

The girl couldn't believe it.

She is still alive...

And she could still see.

She glanced to her right, noticing two huge figures in similar black uniform, one was apparently lecturing the other for being so "condescending".

The girl narrowed her eyes. _Kon-de-su...?_

Wait, how come couldn't she understand a word they were saying...? And why were those two people so huge...? And did she just see a glimpse of blond...hair...?

As she blinked a few times, the two women suddenly realized she had awakened. They hurriedly came up to her with a concerned expression on their faces.

They were clearly nothing like the common people in the girl's country.

Blond hair. Blue eyes.

_Why...? How come...? What was happening...?__ Where _am_ I...?_

It seemed like they mistook her surprised and confused expression as a frightened one.

"It's alright, don't worry..." one of them carefully asked, "Can you speak English...?"

Now she really was confused.

"Okay, just as I thought..." the woman sighed, trying to find a way to overcome the language barrier, "Selene...do you understand body language...?"

"Do I look like I do...?"

"Well you do look like a clown."

Getting tired of listening to an argument she didn't even understand, the girl decided to speak up, albeit weakly.

"Excuse me..."

The two policewomen stopped arguing in an instant. Then they whispered something to each other that the girl thought meant 'Japanese...'

She stayed silent for a while, listening to the faint footsteps from the outside. Now was not the time to ask where she was and how she ended up there. Now that she was given a chance to stay alive, she had to _tell _them something much more important...

"Please, I need to speak to someone who understands Japanese," she begged, "I have to tell you...who did this to me...you have to chase him..."

But they just stayed quiet. The sound of the footsteps from the outside grew louder.

"Please!" she repeated, almost screaming now, "You have to understand...! You have to catch him before it's too late...! That...that...Japanese guy who did that THING to me...he's...he's...he's short and has brown hair and brown eyes, and a scar on his right cheek...! ! !"

The sound of the footsteps from the outside stopped abruptly.

The women didn't notice this, until there was a knock on the door.

"Who's that?"

"Officer Clarke?"

"Just open it, Selene..."

Selene scowled at her partner before she turned the handle and opened the door.

...To reveal a young man with messy brown hair.

He was wearing something that people wouldn't really expect to see from an ordinary hospital visitor: a black formal suit and a pair of Gucci sunglasses.

The two policewomen's jaws dropped.

None of the people inside the room said anything to this bizarre guest...

Ignoring the unwelcoming glares, he casually walked inside, removed his glasses and spoke in fluent Japanese.

"Do you need a translator...?" He looked at the girl on the bed straight in the eye. "...I'm right on your service."

The two policewomen gaped like an idiot.

The man was immediately recognizable as a Japanese as soon as he opened his glasses. A ray of hope came for the girl. She almost shouted in happiness, but her words vanished midway through her throat.

This person (this _suspicious _person) who offered his help to her, was none other than a man in her eyes.

A man.

Any living human being who possessed an everlasting thirst for women.

_...__Torturing them... raping them...murdering them..._

"Are you alright?" a deep, clear voice interrupted her spinning thoughts.

The girl's head shot up. "Uh, uhm, yeah..." Her face paled.

She didn't want to see a man yet. It was still far too painful. Not after everything she had just experienced. Ironically, her only lifeline at that crucial moment...was a man.

She forced her voice to come out. "S-Sir, I need you to- -"

"Ah, before that, let me confirm this first..." His face hardened as he put back his glasses. "The Japanese guy, is short, has dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a scar on his right cheek?"

She could see a glimpse of his eyes squinting through his sunglasses.

"Y...Yes..."

She could see the man clenching his hand, then he spun his head to the two policewomen. "Officers, give me the details of her case immediately. You don't need to concern yourself with this girl any longer, I'm going to take care of her."

The blond woman finally regained her senses and raised an eyebrow. What she was thinking behind that annoyed face was evident, who the hell was this arrogant little...kid who suddenly came budging into a room under her authority as if he were the most important person in the world? Her partner was a bit more honest, she stepped forward to come up against him. "Who authorized you to- -"

With a simple, yet graceful move, he took out an ID from his pocket, "I'm an FBI special agent, and this case is now under my jurisdiction."

True enough, even in this distance with her still slightly blurry eyes, the girl could see the shining word "FBI" attached on the ID he just shoved out to them.

"Don't forget to bring me any documents that are concerned with the issues of human trafficking in this town."

Both of the policewomen were stunned and speechless. They were hesitant at first, but in the end they gave him an apologetic look before they went out to do as he had instructed.

Thus the young man and the girl were left alone inside the ward.

The fact made the girl shiver. Now she really wished she hadn't tried to ask for his help. She wanted the two kind ladies back. She didn't care even if Selene and her friend were more concerned with her strange Japanese than in what she was really trying to inform. All she wanted was to get them back, but her voice had dried up because of fear.

Her hands were suddenly clenching the bed sheet, her shoulders trembling. It seemed like everything was coming back to her. Alone with the man reminded her of the most dreadful thing, the thing that have ended the perfect life she once had. And now, she was scared, so scared of the sadistic creature who had done that thing which shall never be condoned to her. Namely...a man.

Was it even possible for her to confide anything to a man for the rest of her life due to her fears...? At this moment she might be in the process of developing a phobia of almost anything. Even claustrophobia, after she had been confined in a dark, eerie room for too long...

The more time she spent with this man, the worse the condition of her mind became. She would do anything to get away from this room, to get away from any room where there was only her and a man inside.

Or even better, _to get away from this life_...

The young man looked at her, his eyebrows raised when he realized that she looked so frightened at his presence, then he frowned. A sigh escaped his lips before he approached her. The girl flinched and backed away, trying to keep as much distance as possible between them.

He stared at her frightened figure. "He...left a trauma alright." He looked away for a bit before fixing his sharp eyes back at her. "Calm down, girl. What's your name?"

She jumped in surprise at the question. "A..Akiyama M-Mio..." she answered with a stutter.

He stared again at her with almost no emotion that the girl was able to read, but for the first time ever, it attracted the girl's attention.

...Was it concern...

...or hatred...?

...or...

"...I'm Tainaka Ritsu."

...something else...?

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUED**_

* * *

**A/N: Straight pairing?**

**...please remember what I (Ryuamakusa4eva)said at my previous fanfic where I told you the summary of this fanfic  
**

**no matter what, lily Mitsu is the most beautiful flower ****(pun intended)****, and I dun want to ruin that, it's a sacred thing LOL.  
**

**Anyways...there goes the prologue, I hope Gasian and I can finish the first chap soon.**

**I hope you'll R&R!**


	2. A Woman's Feelings

**SNOW ON SAHARA**

**Story by: Ryuamakusa4eva**  
**Written by: Gasian Gaond**

**Summary: Lost out in the desert. If your hopes scatter like the dust across your track, I'll be the moon that shines on your path. The sun may blind our eyes, I'll pray the skies above...for snow to fall on the Sahara.**

**Disclaimer: Ryu and Gasian both own each other *shot to death* ...no, we don't own the godlike K-ON.**

**A/N: Howdy! We meet again dear readers!**

**I see that so many of you are wondering about Ritsu's gender, dun worry, it will be revealed in this chapter!**

**Bold dialogue is in English, and regular is in Japanese.  
**

**Enjoy the first chapter!**

**

* * *

**

"_Over here, over here!" the girl called as she jumped onto the little rocky pedestals, swifter than a hare._

"_Don't go too fast, you'll fall!" the boy warned._

"_It's time for our final confrontation, monster...!" she replied, standing proudly on the toppest pedestal, "I'll defeat you with my invisible double buster gun!"_

_Then she performed a conjuring trick with her hand and pretended that two guns suddenly popped out of thin air._

"_Boom...! Boom...! You're dead...!"_

"_If you fall, Mom will scold us, stop playing up there...!" he shouted, "...Nee-chan...!"_

"_Ahaha...! Come on..." she exclaimed with a smile, "Let's play together...!"_

As the blurry images washed away like paint...the voices slowly became fainter...

**"...Agent Tainaka...? Hey, Tainaka...wake up...!"**

"Hum...?"

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked confusedly. It took him a few seconds to realize he had just slept while standing in the middle of the hospital corridor.

That was quite strange, not only did he fell asleep while standing, he also dreamt of an old thing.

...Which he would just rather forget.

**"I see you've come back to earth, as much as I like to see your sleeping face, I need to talk to you 'bout our case," **the man in front of him said while pressing on the word 'our', with this...look.

An annoyed look spread on his face. **"You go tell the chief that I'm out of the case about the damn drugs, I'm going to take care of her and interrogate her regarding...'that' particular case."**

And stop looking at me like that, he continued in his thought.

**"Of course! No sweat!" **the guy exclaimed, before raising an eyebrow. **"So then...why are you here?"**

**"She needs to calm the heck down before I can interrogate her, she's quite a mess, and frightened," **he explained as he fixed his glasses.

**"You're kind~"**

He twitched at the tone and the look that he gave him. When he saw that the man was still standing there, his eyes squinted as he shooed him. Instead of taking that as an insult, the man, Isaac Jensen, willingly skipped away from him. Ritsu could almost see a tail wagging from behind him.

What. A. Freaking. Gay.

Isaac Jensen, the man who ended up as his partner several times, was one of the weirdest guys Ritsu knew and as an FBI agent, he was still a rookie. Tall, muscled, and handsome with German connections, anyone could've thought he was far more experienced than Ritsu was due to his conspicuous physical appearance. Sometimes, probably because he considered himself more popular than his colleagues, he really acted like he was. He often stated his work as his consuming passion, but he often refused constructive criticism from his seniors.

The only good thing Ritsu knew about getting partnered with Agent Jensen was that he could conjure an edible meal out of almost anything. So even if you were out in the harshest missions, as long as you were with him, you would never starve...but there were downsides as well. As he was still a rookie there was a general consensus that he made mistakes more often than the agents Ritsu usually worked with. Ritsu understood very well how much pain you get when Jensen's blow connects with your skull, after having experienced it himself.

However, he was still quite a conscientious worker and a charming man at times.

If only he would just chase girls once in a while.

An annoyed grunt escaped his lips as he glanced at the door for a bit, then he decided to walk back in to the ward the girl was in. He turned the door knob and heard a click before the door swung open. As soon as the girl on the bed caught sight of him, a frightened look appeared on her face. He frowned at this.

His eyes moved to the white bandage that was wrapped around her forehead. When he thought about how many hits that girl had to endure before, the girl suddenly looked so small and powerless before his eyes.

Ritsu approached her.

"...Have you calmed down?" he lowered his voice and asked softly, purely out of consideration for the poor girl.

He did try his best to be careful so that he wouldn't scare her any further, but she turned her face away. She didn't have any courage to stare at him, because every time she did so, fear would just engulf her, and her body would tremble uncontrollably, and her eyes would begin to water.

Ritsu of course realized this. He sighed as he knew whatever he did was useless, grabbed the nearest chair and sat down. "So...can I ask you some questions now?"

Mio found a small courage to glance at him and met his stern expression. She glanced away again, feeling her hands trembling out of control.

Ritsu clicked his tongue. The girl's mental condition was still admirably stable so far, all things considered. However, it would probably take a long time for her fear of men to subside, and also, from what Ritsu could perceive from that glimpse of terror and desperation upon her face... her wish to end her own life.

"Oi girl, stop being so weak, I know what that asshole did was terrible, but if you can't let go of the fear, you'll end up like m- -" He stopped himself. Mio couldn't help but look at him, she saw his hand on his temple as he fell silent. His long bangs fell on his face, hiding the face beneath that pair of sunglasses even further.

"...Forget what I said," he mumbled as his eyebrows furrowed. "You remind me of something..."

He ignored her startled face.

"Anyways..." He cleared his throat before continuing, "So, firstly, do you still remember where you were from? Miyagi? Tokushima?"

However, Mio didn't really appreciate how Ritsu hadn't been quite considerate toward her. After startling and possibly offending her with his harsh words, he didn't even offer her a few words of consolation, or even an apology. Slowly but surely, silent anger became to boil up in her. However, when she realized his needle-sharp stare was still there, she reverted to her weak self again.

"Ka...Kanagawa..."

Ritsu quickly took out a pen and a small note from his pocket before he wrote on it. "I see, they kidnapped you?" Mio clenched her hands on the bed sheet as she nodded hesitantly.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-four..."

"Did...you hear anything that prick said? Like, anything at all?" She didn't know why, but he sounded very pissed every time he mentioned the person who...did that to her.

"I...I was...afraid...I..I couldn't hear anything...clearly..." The raven-haired girl gulped without looking at him. "But...there's one word I heard in their conversation...but I think...they said it in English..."

"...And what is that one word?"

She took another gulp. "...NHK."

At this, he stopped writing abruptly, eyebrows knitted together. "...I see, I chose the right case after all."

Right then, there was a knock, Ritsu spun her head to the door, to find the doctor walk in, together with his partner, Jensen. The doctor was still quite young, with short curly hair and thick eyelids. She threw a brief glance at Ritsu before she fixed her eyes to Mio and approached her bed. Mio sighed in relief knowing the doctor was a female.

The doctor took a good look at her wound, and she thought for a bit as she examined the raven-haired girl.

**"Okay, I don't think she needs to stay another night in the hospital." **She looked at Ritsu. **"You could take her home if you want. Just don't make her work too hard, and remember to come back for a check-up tomorrow. Her head is still in a pretty bad shape compared to the rest of her body."**

**"Oh, yeah, about that...Tainaka, the chief agreed that you investigate this case and abandon the drug case on condition that you... take care of everything for her," **Jensen piped up.

**"And what is that supposed to mean...?"**

**"You have to protect her and take her home with you until further notice..."**

Jensen sent off a small glare to Mio.

The pale girl flinched at this, but she was confused more than she was afraid. Obviously, she didn't understand what they were talking about.

Ritsu stood up from his seat. **"Surely Chief can just send some agents to guard this hospital?"**

**"Taking everything into consideration, the chief believes it's the best and quickest way to assure her safety at this moment."**

**"But it's not psychologically healthy for the victim! Because of her trauma, she's now afraid of men! I've told you to mention that to the chief, right? ?"**

**"I've told him, and I don't understand, either. He kept saying it's fine."**

A groan escaped his lips. He hated it when his superior's orders imposed constraints on his freedom.

_That son of a bitch...just because he knows that I'm..._

**"Until when?" **Ritsu asked in an irritated tone.

**"That, I don't know for sure, the chief didn't tell me about that."**

Ritsu fell silent, then he stood up and stared at the raven-haired girl. "Okay, you're coming home with me, girl," he said in Japanese.

Astonished, the girl backed away from him as she screeched, "No!"

**"What did she say?"**

"Shut up, Jensen."

**"What did you say?"**

**"Gah, speak Japanese, will you?"**

The girl didn't budge from the bed, and was now hiding her head behind her pillow. This was getting more difficult. They needed to minimize the number of men inside the room...

**"Jensen, get out of here."**

**"Huh? Why?" **he asked,** "Don't tell me...gasp, you want to do something to her? ?"**

Ritsu wanted to hit his head on the wall. **"You idiot! This is no time for joking! And what if you offend her? ?"**

**"Meh, she won't understand anyway."**

**"I said get out and buy some clothes!"**

**"Clothes? What kind of clothes?"**

**"Women's clothes."**

**"Women's...gasp, you have _that_ kind of hobby, Tainaka? ?"**

**"It's for _her_, you IDIOT!"**

Ritsu impatiently pushed him out of the room when he said,** "But I don't know her size!"**

**"Then buy extra large T-shirts or whatever! Just _get out_! "**

The doctor and Mio watched the two agents as Jensen was pushed out of the room and Ritsu slammed the door shut behind him.

He turned around and saw Mio giving him a look that clearly showed her mixed-up feeling.

As a competent agent he had to take advantage of this situation. He just hoped this way would work. He wouldn't lie, really. He simply had to make that girl think he would never assault her. Who cares since the doctor wouldn't understand a thing anyway.

"You know what, I'm not interested in a big-breasted, ugly girl like you."

Mio's expression didn't look hurt at all but became unexpectedly more confused.

Then she asked him, "Are you gay?"

"...Damn..." he cussed as he promised himself to kill Jensen later on.

* * *

Thanks to Ritsu's assurance (?), Mio was finally able to get off her bed and walked alongside him to his apartment. As Jensen hadn't returned yet, Ritsu bought her a plain T-shirt from the shop near the hospital, and he let her have a quick dinner in the cafeteria. She didn't seem to mind. She didn't even flinch as much as before when Ritsu attempted to initiate a conversation with her, or when he asked her to sit inside his car. Once or twice she would eye Ritsu curiously, as if she didn't quite understand how to thank him.

"Tainaka-san...?" she said as she sat uncomfortably on the back seat.

"What is it...?" he replied, checking his car keys.

"Where are we?"

Ritsu remembered he hadn't told her about their current location. "Ivanhoe, Virginia," he answered, "We're in the USA."

He inserted his keys as he wondered how surprised she was, but she didn't say anything.

They remained silent for a few minutes as he drove, and Ritsu didn't wish to interrupt her thoughts. Ten minutes later they arrived in front of his apartment, and as he was parking his car, he heard a voice again from the backseat.

"...Can I call my parents?"

So she still lived with her parents.

Of course, she was an ordinary girl with an ordinary happy family. Unlike Ritsu.

"...You're expecting me to pay for it?" he snapped a bit.

"But I have to call them," she said stubbornly.

"Do you even have money?" he said uncaringly, "...Follow me."

Mio initially wanted to shoot back at him, but she was afraid he would harm her if she did. She just wanted to know...why was he so harsh to her? Did all men in the world have to treat her like that?

She followed him in silence as they walked into the building and passed the lift, wishing she could just reach the top of the building and die.

She didn't want to live with this person. She should've just thrown herself into the river instead of passing out in front of the police station. She failed even in attempting to end her own life. Tears began to pool inside her eyes.

"...Hey," she heard a voice, "Take this."

She looked at her left and saw him offering a piece of chocolate to her. She noticed a small burn scar on his index finger.

"Just eat it, it'll make you feel better," he added when he noticed she was reluctant to take it from him, "And stop crying."

She couldn't help herself to take it in the end.

But she did stop crying.

* * *

"So, you, wait here for like...a good 15 minutes." and so Ritsu left Mio in front of his room, went inside and closed the door. Soon after, Mio could hear a lot of thumps.

Then when the promised time was almost up, the door opened again with a creak. "Come in."

The apartment room was a bit small but sufficient for one or two people. Mio was sure Ritsu had just conjured her scattered things to disappear just now. A small coffee table and two comfy sofas greeted her as she walked in. There was a shelf filled with bottles of liquor beside the door. No television. When Ritsu showed where she was going to sleep, though, she saw one in front of the bed. Maybe he liked to watch TV before he slept? Mio didn't know.

When he showed her the bathroom, he noticed her face turned brighter although she was reluctant to even take a step inside. He said to her as he glanced at her body, "I guess you should...take a bath."

Eyes wide in terror, she quickly shook her head, and Ritsu understood what she meant. "I swear I won't do anything. I've said, I'm not interested in you. You can lock the door all you want."

She hesitated, but within another few seconds, probably dying to wash her hands and feet, without looking back at him she dashed into the bathroom, snatching a towel on the washing machine while running.

"Hey, that's my tow- - !" But she had closed the door shut. Ritsu heard a click and he knew his towel had fallen victim to an almost complete stranger.

Complaining silently, he walked toward the living room where he heard a knock on the door. He immediately opened it, thinking it was Jensen.

However, he found an entirely unexpected guest.

"Hi..." she greeted with a smile, "May I come in...?"

* * *

"I didn't think you would come to visit..." he started.

A pair of clear sky blue eyes glanced at him over the white porcelain tea cup. The blond beauty put down her cup and gave him a genuine smile.

Genuine. Always genuine.

"Won't you welcome a friend...?"

"You know very well you're not simply a _friend_..." he replied, "For me you're like...how Dr. Bones is to Seeley Booth...okay, probably not that much."

"Except that I'm not a doctor."

"But you do write."

"Just another one of my special ways to come up with money..."

"You should stop writing for that foul newspaper."

"And you should stop working for the FBI."

He rolled his eyes. This was her way to shoot back at him when confronted with such things. He said, "They keep condensing your articles."

The girl knew this habit of his very well. He just sent her a congratulatory message to her for being accepted a week ago, and now he was already criticizing her new job. "I don't mind. You know, it's always as long as I'm forever a freelancer..."

"Then work for someone else."

"No, _you _work for someone else. Or _with_ someone else. There has to be someone who's more suited to become your partner than a guy who condescends to anyone in existence and gives you come-hither looks."

"Pfft, Agent Jensen? You know what, after he tried to give me the come-on, I'm confident that he's trying to show me he's gay."

"Ooh...then you can confide in him."

"What? Imagine his face when he's in my confidence."

"He'll cry."

"He'll flee."

"What?"

"He suffers from gynophobia."

"I bet he's good at hiding it."

"The world ends if I take Isaac Jensen into my confidence."

"Your secrets sure are strictly confidential."

"Not quite, unless we end our confiding relationship."

The blonde laughed sweetly.

The young agent never changed ever since she first made contact with him. Or rather...

...Her.

Yes, Tainaka Ritsu was... the girl who deceived everyone, even her friends and colleagues, with her boyish appearance and how she always showed a contempt for her own safety when accomplishing her tasks.

Maybe something had gone wrong with her double X chromosomes.

But asking Ritsu anything along the lines of "You are a girl, so why don't you dress like a proper girl?" would be awarded with a needle sharp stare and cruel silence for several hours.

That was what this certain friend understood from her past experiences while spending time with Ritsu.

Kotobuki Tsumugi, who is usually called 'Mugi' by her friends, met 'the agent with confusable gender' two years ago when she was visiting her grandfather's house in Whytheville. Out of curiosity, she attended a small event which she only knew to be free for all comers. Unfortunately, she didn't know that "the small event" was a Chautauqua Festival, and that meant countless people had congregated there. The place was congested with parents and children where it was impossible to keep track of the visitors' comings and goings.

Wishing to get some peace and quiet, she tried to find a more comfortable place elsewhere near the park. Instead, she found a place just as noisier and a hundred times more dangerous. There she became the only witness of the arrest of a cannibalistic serial killer by a small number of FBI agents that involved some gunfire, blood, and a bit of knife action.

Her panicked mind first registered the brunette as a man when the criminal finally "got his comeuppance", as her colleagues said, after one of her Desert Eagles planted a bullet inside his thigh. But she didn't congratulate herself. Mugi didn't quite understand why, but it seemed to be related to how her golden eyes turned wild and fiery as soon as the desperate madman began to insanely scream out his crimes to the bewildered agents.

When the already disabled man mentioned something beneath contempt about raping a woman before cutting her flesh open, the Desert Eagle was already on his temple, and the previously stoic eyes of the girl was now shooting him a murderous look that was so deadly that Mugi thought it was a glare that could kill people if there really was one.

Then she mercilessly kicked his stomach and confronted him with a choice, **"Do you want to be confined to bed for the rest of your fucking life…or die?"**

Maybe that was what first attracted Mugi to find out more about this certain agent.

It might be a matter of individual conscience, because somehow, Mugi didn't find what that agent just did to be exactly cruel.

Instead, it made her feel...interested in her. Moreover that she didn't seem to have it on her conscience at all when she met her again. It seemed that they both connived in it.

Through a series of events that were mainly conducted by curiosity, the two came to know each other better and became good friends. Recently, Mugi seemed to be the person whom Ritsu could connect with the most, and for Mugi, that just confirmed her strange attachment to Ritsu. As far as Mugi knew, she was the only person who knew about Ritsu's true gender, which she had been hiding for personal reasons.

Extremely personal reasons.

Which reminded Mugi of...

"...Say, how's your work...?" she said before she could stop herself.

She observed her as she stopped stirring her tea, seemingly trying to deal with the conflicting emotions in her mind. If Ritsu didn't directly tell her about what she had just done for her work that day, it must be a very special case for her. She had seen her like this several times, once when she was trapped in a foul storage with a murderer for seven consecutive days, once when she was handling a case that ended up as a crime committed with the connivance of one of her colleagues...

...and once when she found a clue about the existence of an agency which operated in one of the world's biggest criminal industry in the world.

Human trafficking.

"I've finally found it. A link to those traffickers. And not just an ordinary one," she explained, obviously trying to contain her excitement, "She just ran away from one of their hideouts last night, in this town."

Mugi's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh my God, that's so great, Ricchan!"

"She's not in a really good shape to be thoroughly interviewed right now, though. And she's terribly afraid of men. So in the meantime...can I count on you?"

"Leave it to me, I'll do it right away." She gave her an assuring wink as they both stood up from their seats.

"Thank you, Mugi."

"It's fine…"

They stared at each other for a moment, while Mugi observed her reflection on that pair of golden eyes. How much sorrow that was hidden beneath those pitiful eyes? How much pain did she truthfully have to endure?

Leaning in, Mugi looked away from them and gave her a small peck on the cheek.

She was used to doing it as an expression of gratitude or good bye.

But soon after, she heard a gasp behind them that made her jump.

It was an Asian girl, probably around Mugi's age, who was just getting out of the bathroom, her hand was still clutching the door handle and a look of disbelief spread upon her face. She looked as if she was about to cry. Then she went back inside and slammed the door close, her anger almost shook the whole room.

"No, Mio, it's not like you think!" Ritsu exclaimed as she tried to open the door, but Mio was much faster. It was locked.

"Who's that?"

"No, Mugi, she's nobody! I mean, no, she's not a nobody! Ugh…I mean she's the victim I've just told you about…!"

"You call her 'Mio'?"

"So what?"

"Why's she here?"

"She lives with me!"

"But you said she's afraid of..."

"That's the problem!"

They heard sobs from behind the door.

"You're a liar!" her cries echoed in the bathroom, "You said you're not interested in big-breasted girls! You're a liar!"

"Like I said, it's not like what you think! !"

"Liar!" she screamed even louder, almost like the screech of a bat, "I won't trust you anymore! !"

"Oh, heavens…" Ritsu regretted her mistake as she banged on the washing machine. "If only there's someone who can get me out of this problem…!"

**"Heeey, Tainaka, I'm back…!"**

"No, heavens, you sent me the wrong person."

**"Good evening, Agent Jensen, nice to meet you."**

**"Whoa! Why's there another girl in your apartment? ?"**

"Mio, stop being such a crybaby and get out of there!" Ritsu shouted while ignoring both of them.

"Go away! I don't want to see you anymore!" she cried.

"I said..."

"Get me out of this place! I want to go home! I don't want to live here with you! _I hate you...! !_ _!_"

When she heard that sentence, Ritsu felt her temper rose to unbearable levels. She was so furious that she could barely contain herself, and frustration soon took control of her mouth.

"You know what, I fucking hate- - !"

But she couldn't continue her sentence. One of Mugi's hands was suddenly on her mouth, and the other one was on her own, as she put a finger on her lips and mouthed, "Calm down."

Then she stood between the door and Ritsu and spoke to it.

"Mio…san?"

There was no reply.

"My name is Kotobuki Tsumugi, and I'm a friend of Tainaka Ritsu," she continued, "Mio-san, it might not look like it but Tainaka Ritsu is not as bad of a person as you think. He will neither harm nor endanger you. He has dedicated his whole life to chase the people who have done those horrible things to you. He lied to protect you. If you kept refusing to come with him, you would be in a far greater danger. He might be a bit harsh, but he really is a very kind person with a strong sense of justice..."

Still no reply.

"And also…" she added, "You can call her Ricchan if you want."

"Mugi!"

**"What? What the hell are you guys saying? ?"**

As Jensen was still busy with his confused mind, Ritsu heard a click from the door. She turned around and her heart leapt in joy when her eyes met a clear glimpse of grayish color. She mumbled a word of thanks to Mugi, which she returned with a smile.

* * *

Tainaka Ritsu had always managed to find a way out in her difficult missions even when circumstances conspired against her and her team of agents, and consequently, she had been experienced in some of the worst life-threatening situations in the standard life on an FBI agent. However, never did she think that she would someday be trapped in such a simple, but complicated, problem: having a girl named Mio Akiyama to willingly take off her clothes inside her apartment.

Not even half of her previous trust for Ritsu returned to her after Jensen and Mugi had left them alone. Now she didn't have enough courage to change her clothes, not even in the bathroom. She kept stealing horrified glances at her, and hid her face every time their eyes met. Evidently, she was dying to escape, and Ritsu had stopped her a number of times in just that night alone. The chief wouldn't be pleased if a psychiatrist was involved when it wasn't exactly necessary. Clearly, she had to find a way to regain her trust.

Mugi had offered to help her, but she insisted to do this alone.

She...no, _they_ would get through this. She and Mio had to overcome this barrier, whatever happened.

Should she...tell Mio the truth?

The truth that only very few people knew...the truth that she had been running away from for years?

She remembered Mugi's words that she brushed off in a second a few months ago, "As a girl...you look cute, Ricchan."

Suddenly, as if like God just gave her an answer, a thought came in her mind. It was one of the weirdest ideas possible, but she was so frustrated that she had to try it out. Ritsu quickly took off her suit and untied her necktie, this sudden action of hers made Mio let out a horrified scream, thinking that this "guy" in front of her would do the same thing as her kidnappers.

Groaning, Ritsu threw the suit and the tie on the table before she rushed her way into her bedroom. Mio's heart was beating as fast as a mouse being pounced by a ferocious cat.

Sha had to run. She had to leave this place. She hadn't escaped from that hell for being assaulted again. She didn't want that nightmare to return.

With her ears ringing in alarm, she jumped off her seat and headed for the front door. Locked, she knew, and Ritsu was being careful enough to hide the keys. She grabbed the suit and desperately rifled through it. Her search was fruitless, but she didn't give up.

However before she could try to look around again, Ritsu had returned. Since Ritsu was only wearing a white shirt and black shorts, she frightened Mio more as she was taken aback.

"...I can't believe I'm doing this," she said, glancing at the object she was holding. It was at that moment when Mio realized she was bringing a yellow headband with her. Mio could see some burn stains on it, and it looked quite old, which made her couldn't help but wonder if that really belonged to her.

The brunette sighed deeply as she wore the headband to fix her bangs, showing her forehead. Without her bangs, it showed her amber eyes more clearly, and there was a small burn scar on her forehead. Another burn.

'How did he have those scars?' Mio wondered. 'Did something happen in his past?'

"There, I look like a girl now, ain't I?" she asked.

That question startled Mio, but true enough, now she resembled a girl much more than before. Considering how much her looks contrasted from before, she looked quite...cute. She had this feminine face, a very pretty one, and now that she didn't wear the suit anymore, she could examine her body as she realized it did not look like a man's body at all, she actually had a small figure. She had firm muscles, but not big like a man's, also, she had these...smooth legs, and plus, now that she observed her closer, she was actually short, much shorter than she thought.

This really surprised her, why did she do this...?

"I will only look this way to you, so stop being a scaredy-cat, it makes you such a pain in the ass for me," she said as she looked at her with contempt.

That was insulting alright, but Mio brushed that off.

It was not that seen, but her lips turned upward a bit, she felt her fear started to subside.

She tried her best to lessen her fear, and Mio appreciated that.

* * *

**_TO BE CONTINUED_**

* * *

**A/N: YAYSHE'SAGURL! **

**...is your reaction rite? lolz XDD**

**Me and Gasian luv yuri Mitsu soooooo much, we never want a straight pairing for them LOLOL.**

**We will probably update it in a loooonnnggg tiiiimmmeee, for I have exams, and Gasian's a bit busy too...so yeah, be patient aye? Because next up will be about the details of what happened to Mio.**

**Please R&R!**


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